Don’t team up2 with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner3 with wickedness? How can light live with4 darkness? What harmony5 can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner6 with an unbeliever? And what union7 can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be My people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty. ”
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Remember the first verse of this chapter where Paul says “As God’s partners1, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it.” Do you think it is coincidence that the concept is repeated and repeated in a series of different synonyms? In this chapter, or actually more to the point in five verses there are 7 uses of the same concept but not one is the same word.
partners1 – συνεργέω [Sunergeō] to be a fellow worker, that is, co-operate: – help (work) with, work (-er) together. be partner in labour.
team up2 – ἑτεροζυγέω [heterozugeō] to come under an unequal or different yoke, to be unequally yoked, to have fellowship with one who is not an equal, to have intercourse with, to associate discordantly.
partner3 – μετοχή [metochē] participation, intercourse, fellowship, a sharing, communion, fellowship.
live with4 – κοινωνία [koinōnia] fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse, intimacy.
harmony5 – συμφόνησις [sumphonēsis] accordance, concord, agreement.
partner6 – μερίς [meris] part, a portion, share, participation.
union7 – συγκατάθεσις [sugkatathesis] a deposition (of sentiment) in company with, accord with, agreement.
Well isn’t that interesting. Although the word “partner” is repeated three times in English there is not one word that is the same in Greek. Paul is talking about the same thing but stacks up a series of different synonyms to drive his point home. It is not by chance that we have a passage filled with different words for the same concept. Paul is deliberately doing it.
Ah but doing what and what is his point? What is all this connected to? Time for you to do some pondering before we move on. It is necessary for you to connect up the dots first.
At Any Given Moment, Every Person Is Either Drawing You Closer To Or Further Away From Your God Ordained Priorities.
Robb Thompson
Today common sense is so uncommon people think it is genius.
Rick Warren